Sustainability Tip: Home Made Cleaner

Over the past few years I've been hearing a good deal about the chemicals we've been exposing our bodies to on a daily basis.  It seems everywhere we turn there are more chemicals.  Some chemicals aren't so harsh on our bodies, like soaps, shampoos, and the like.  Others, like many cleaning products, are far more harsh.  There are a million recipes out there for cleaners to do any household chore, most of them very green and much safer for the family than the store-bought heavy chemicals.

After a visit to the ER for my poor, sweet baby boy today I decided we needed to do something about our laundry soap.  I know the boys and I have all had reactions to different perfumed laundry soaps in the past, but never as severe of a problem as my baby boy was having.  We can't positively identify the source of the problem, but the chicken pox turned into a bad rash which proceeded to get infected.  It's entirely possible that the rash was simply a bad combination of the open chicken pox sores and the bad reaction we had been observing with the laundry soap.  Because that skin was already raw and sore, it made the reaction go crazy, where as before it was causing a little minor redness at best.  The doctor recommended we not use cloth diapers until the infection clears up, bleach the diapers well to remove any chance of infection, and from that point on, change our laundry soap, just to be on the safe side.  If he breaks out real bad when we go to cloth again, obviously the problem is bigger than the laundry soap or some lingering contamination, and we'll have to either replace all our diapers or simply change to disposables, something I dread doing.  With luck, we'll be able to salvage the diapers and continue to use them.  As our diapers still had a residual smell after cleaning the last couple of times I washed them, I'm hoping a real deep clean is all that's necessary.

A few weeks back I was talking to some girls on an online forum about dreadlocks.  They had talked about deep cleaning solutions they have used for their hair.  Their deep cleaning process reminded me of the combination I was suggested for hand washing my diapers.  I decided after bleaching the diapers, I'm going to try out this combination and see if it does us some good.

Typically done in measurements, this cleaner can be used for hair, diapers, and I've heard of it being used for clothing as well, though I would definitely test it out on any kind of delicate fabric before you use it on anything with special washing instructions.  For my diapers, I've always kind of eyeballed it.  When hand washing, I usually mix it together in a tub or bucket full of water.  In a washing machine, I typically just add it as the water starts running, or after the water has already filled.  There are two very simple ingredients, baking soda, and typically apple cider vinegar.  Of course, some people substitute white vinegar as per preference for any number of reasons.  For use on the skin, apple cider vinegar may be a bit too strong.  Just be certain that it's all well washed out of whatever you use it on, be it clothes (check before they hit the dryer) or hair.  For those of you who prefer measurements, I've found information that suggests anywhere between 1/4-3/4 of a cup of baking soda combined with a cap full of vinegar.  I know a cap full is not a standardized measurement, but it's pretty easy to estimate.  I've found a couple resources that suggest 8 or so drops of tea tree oil and a couple of references listing lemon juice both with the vinegar and as a replacement for vinegar (an average of one to two tablespoons).  Keep in mind for mixing this to use in hair, you want to mix it well before you add it to your hair.  Obviously for dreads you will need to soak to penetrate all the way through each dread, but if you have normal hair, simply adding it to your hair and letting it do it's job for a while should do the trick too.  I've used it before and didn't even need to scrub my hair.  I just let it do it's job.  Unfortunately, with vinegar, it has a very strong smell, and rinsing it out all the way doesn't necessarily get rid of the smell as quickly as you might like.

So there you have it, a quick and easy cleaner for your hair or clothing that can be thrown together with simple ingredients from your grocery store.  I do apologize for the lack of formal measurement, but I've found that experimenting is really the best way to find what works best as all washers seem to be a little different.  I also find I need to use more baking soda on diapers than I would with regular clothes.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of using it on my hair as my hair doesn't feel as soft as I'd like afterward, but some people do swear by it.  For me, I'm glad I remember mixing all of this to wash diapers.  It saves all the chemicals that are even found in free and clear products.  Better still, it saves money!

Cloth Diapers, I'm already saving!

It's been a while since I've so much as thought about using cloth diapers.  It's not that I've stopped doing it.  On the contrary, it's because it's so natural, normal, and habitual at this point!  Cloth diapers are as much a part of having a baby as nursing, feeding, and any other diaper change!  I almost can't imagine using disposables anymore!  It's wonderful and freeing to think that it's become such a part of our habits!

Just for the fun of it, I tossed down a few numbers recently, just to see how we're looking financially for having used cloth diapers.  I considered how often we change the baby, how many diapers are in a pack, how much disposables cost.  I've even estimated the cost to toss in a load of laundry at a laundromat (though it's probably cheaper for us), how many diapers fit in a load, and about how often detergent needs replacing.  I figured we'd probably be pretty close by now, but we probably haven't started saving yet.  It's only been a couple of months since we've gone to cloth, right?

Well, I was completely wrong.  First of all, it's been about five months since we went exclusively to cloth diapers.  I've calculated in pretty much everything we've bought, including a probable over-estimation on yarn to make longies and shorties.  While it may not seem like much, at this point, we've already saved ourselves about $100!  That's $100 more in our pocket than we would have had to spend on diapers!  When we hit that one year mark, we're talking close to $400 that would have gone to companies such as Pampers, Luvs, Huggies, and store brand products, possibly more as the prices of disposables go up with size and by the brand name.  If you take into account buying the smaller packs in emergency cases, like all the times I forgot the diaper bag didn't get restocked on my way out the door where small packages were picked up instead, the savings surely escalates even more!

Not only are cloth diapers so easy and convenient, but I know the diaper bag is always stocked.  I always check to make sure there's extra cloth diapers and a cover, if need be, in the diaper bag.  I always restock the moment I walk in the door when I'm pulling out the dirty ones to drop in the bin for cleaning.  I've never really had any worries of needing to go buy more diapers last minute or, given our financial situation is tight, having fears of needing to scrape up change to buy more.  In a worst case kind of way, it's cheaper to scrape up quarters for one load of wash than it is to buy a pack of disposables, and that only matters if our own washer and dryer aren't working.

I've had so many people I know tell me "I could never do cloth diapers!  They're just so gross!"  These days it makes me want to laugh and say, "I could never do disposable diapers!  All that that wasted energy to produce them, all that money wasted, all that space in landfills!  The idea is just appalling!"  I'm glad I've gone over to the dark side and started using cloth.  The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner!

Converted to Flats

Everyone seems to assume flat diapers are such a challenge.  How can you get those giant squares of cloth to possibly go on a baby's bottom?  They must be folded up in some insane way.  They must be so challenging to use.  I'll admit, I was even intimidated by them at first, but I decided to give them a try.  You never know, they could be easier than they look!  I doubted it, but try everything once.

I decided to go all in.  I couldn't really afford a huge stock of diapers, so I was going to go with flats.  I didn't care if they were complicated.  They were cheap!  I could get four dozen for sixty dollars.  Even if I hated them, at least I didn't spend a small fortune.  I'd just have to suffer.  It was the only way I was going to be able to afford to convert to cloth right away.

When I got them, I was intimidated.  These things were huge!  They were far bigger than they possibly could need to be.  I hoped they shrunk down significantly in the wash, but I was a little disappointed when they didn't shrink much.  I had no idea how something so massive was supposed to fit on my little baby boy.  And people use these things on newborns?  I was shocked.

With a healthy dose of doubt, I pulled up the website.  I checked out the info they had on the "origami fold".  It looked simple enough, but I had my doubts.  Surely nothing could be that easy.  Much to my surprise, it really was!  Fold into halves, then corner to corner, roll over the center, then put it on the baby!  It was so incredibly simple!  I was able to diaper my baby in slightly more time than it took with disposables and I'd just gotten them!  How could I have had any doubts?

I have fallen in love with flat diapers!  I swear, these are the only diapers I'll use from here on out.  I'll be tempted to buy them for all my friends who cloth diaper.  I'm sold.  They're so easy and convenient!  I don't know how I ever lived without them!

Crafting for Cloth Diapers

Have you ever noticed that those who do crafts tend to find practical reasons for them.  The more practical the craft, the more practical the use.  Yes, there are always going to be things that are not useful as anything more than home decor, but this isn't the trend.  Why wouldn't we think the same with two natural things that fall so closely in line with each other?

For me, I'm a knitter, a breastfeeding mom that cloth diapers, co-sleeps, and attachment parents.  Obviously, some of these fall straight in line.  Cloth diapering and breastfeeding seem a common overlap.  Co-sleeping and attachment parenting is another.  However, knitting doesn't seem to fall in line with that.

What many don't think of, at least until they cloth diaper themselves, is the connection between cloth diapering and wool.  Wool is a material that is highly absorbent, yet water resistant.  It keeps warm, even when wet.  It wicks away moisture.  With the addition of a little lanolin, it is the perfect substance for diaper covers for cloth diapers.  This is where the connection is made.

Knitting, spinning, weaving, and crocheting all easily utilize wool with the purpose of turning it into fabric.  It's not surprising that many who cloth diaper would see the connection, the use, and the potential to save a lot of money by making their own.  They make soakers, little diaper covers that keep the cloth diapers from soaking through to the clothes.  They make shorties, baby sized shorts that work as diaper covers.  They make longies, knit or crocheted baby pants that also work as diaper covers.  It's a practical connection between craft and function.

I've seen these items for sale and have considered purchasing longies, shorties, or soakers for my sons.  Some of them can get quite pricey.  I've seen longies sell for $60 on etsy and e-bay.  I thought it was completely out of my league.  However, when looking at the cost of making them myself, things changed quite a bit.  I can make a pair of longies for my son at his current size for as low as $9 in yarn and a few hours of time.  I can make them in the largest size for as low as $12.  The patterns range from free to $10, generally offering different options.  Doesn't that even make a $30 pair of longies sound expensive then?  Where if I make them, I get busy work, the satisfaction of finishing and using them, and save a lot of money in the long run.  Doesn't making my own sound so much more practical?

Well, the longies, shorties, and soakers will be parading in soon.  I've got a pattern that I love and yarn on the way.  I don't know why I hadn't thought about that option when I was thinking about going back to cloth.  It would only make sense that I would pick up the needles and make them myself.  I can't wait to start rolling them out!  Not only will that help reduce my impact on the world around me, but they will be natural, not made from chemical processes.  They will give me something to be productive and keep myself busy.  Best of all, they will last for many years through many children, even if all of them aren't my own.

Gerber Cloth Diapers, A Brief Review

A few months back, during one of my swaps, my swap partner sent me some cloth diapers.  I thought it was totally awesome.  They were just the inexpensive Gerber ones, but I figured they were better than nothing.  I'd heard horrible reviews about how these diapers aren't absorbent.  They tend to leak everywhere and fill rather quickly.  For even a light soaker, it would be better to double them up.  Still, I couldn't be picky and they were a gift, so I was happy to give them a try.  What can I say?  At less than a dollar a diaper, they were perfectly in my price range.  Now if only I still had my old diaper covers!

In my time cloth diapering, I haven't had a chance to try out many brands or different types.  My experience has been pretty limited.  My daughter was only on disposables.  My older son wore nothing but Kissaluv's fitted diapers for the brief time I could manage cloth, though I wish I could have done it longer.  Now I've got these Gerber diapers and only a few of the Kissaluv's and a Happy Heiny to round things out.  Given how expensive disposable diapers are, I took the chance to switch over to cloth.  We've got a washer and dryer here, which meant I could cycle through the dozen diapers I had in a day and still have clean diapers, even if I only had one day's supply.

What my swap partner sent me were Gerber Prefold Birdseye 3-ply cloth diapers in a 12 pack.  The first day I tried them, they really did leak.  I wasn't terribly pleased.  I was beginning to think I should start doubling them up or adding a liner.  Given that I don't have any covers right now, soaking through is definitely a concern of mine.  I know no cloth diaper will ever be leak-free without a cover, but I've found that I can actually work things so that they hold a little better where he needs it most by folding over the extra fabric.  I'm also considering adding a second one folded on the inside so I can have a soaker to absorb some of the extra.  I've also noticed that after additional washings, they seem to be getting a little more absorbent.  Perhaps it's because I use a free and clear laundry soap and avoid bleach at all costs.  I've noticed that his pee diapers are just a little damp on the outside, unless he pees in his sleep, because then he can sleep through it and really soak himself.  His poop diapers have all pretty much been contained.  We had one leak thus far, but I think if I add an additional soaker that wouldn't have happened.  It would add bulk to the butt, of course, but that's not too big of a deal.  They work for us.  They work well enough that I just picked up two more packs to hold us over until we can get something fancier and they can be demoted to burp cloths and cleaning rags.  They're also work well enough to stuff the Happy Heiny diaper I have, though I've found I need two to last through the night.

The verdict?  They're not bad for being cheap Gerber diapers.  By the fact that I can pick them up at Walmart for $11, that's right in my budget right now.  Over time we do plan to upgrade and replace them with better and more absorbent diapers, perhaps some Chinese prefolds, Kissaluv's fitted, and Happy Heinys, but for now, they'll hold us over and spare us the cost of additional disposables until we can save up.  I bought $22 in diapers today, and that saved me buying a pack of disposables that would have cost the same and lasted, what?  A couple of weeks at best?  Poor little boy's rashes would have gotten worse and he would have continued to be unhappy.  Personally, if you can afford to save up and buy something higher quality, I'd say do it, even if it is just some nice prefolds.  If not?  Well, these are something good that can hold you over for at-home use if you can accept the need for a doubler or soaker and can tolerate the potential leaks until you can save up for something higher quality.